


Tell me why you cry

by Camogirl18



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Feels, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Protective Voltron Paladins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23739163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Camogirl18/pseuds/Camogirl18
Summary: One night, Keith has a nightmare about Lance dying in his arms, it scares him so badly, he decides to seek comfort from Lance himself, will they realize their feelings for each other? Will they confess their feelings or will things stay the same between them? Tears are shed, bonding moments are shared, but will feelings be confessed?
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	1. Nightmares

"Tell me why you cry"

Chapter 1: Nightmares

Late one night, while Keith was asleep, he has a nightmare about Lance dying right in front of him.

Lance is laying face first on the ground, I gasped in shock, gently turned him over so he was laying on his back, he had a deep cut going across his chest, his face was covered in bruises, he had a black eye, and a cut lip with blood trickling down his mouth, the tears that started to well in my eyes came like a waterfall.

“Lance! Oh, my, gosh! A-are you okay?! Say something!” I said frantically, his eyes were closed, I stared anxiously at his face, hoping that he would open those ocean blue eyes 

“H-hey, Mullet, don’t cry, I-I’ll be okay, I promise. He said weakly, closing his eyes again, my tears began to flow harder.

“Lance, stay with me! Talk to me! P-please” I begged, cradling him in my arms, I could feel his heartbeat grow slower, and his breathing grow more ragged and shallow, it scared me, I didn’t want to lose him, not like this. I tightly shut my eyes as tears continued to stream down my face.

“G-guys! Hunk! Pidge! Shiro! S-someone! Anyone! Please answer me! I need help! Please! V-voltron!” I yelled through my helmet, hoping someone would answer me, all I got in reply was static, I sat there holding Lance in my arms, his body becoming limp.  
I watched as he drew his last breath, his hand falling from my cheek, his body completely limp, my hand flew to my mouth to keep my sobs from escaping. 

“Lance… No… no... No, please! No! Lance! Lance!” I yelled in agony, tears streaming down my face like raindrops, mixing with the rain that fell from the sky, my heart clenched into a fist, then, everything went black...

Late one night, Keith tossed and turned in his sleep, gripping the pillow that was between his arms, clutching it tightly to his chest, as if his very life depended on it.

Keith’s dream:

We were out on a mission and I got separated from everyone else, I’m walking around, completely alone, in the dark, I could barely see, I started calling out for everyone. 

“Hello? Hello? Shiro? Pidge? Hunk? Lance?! Anybody?! Hello!” I continued to call out, but nobody answered me. I started to feel scared, my heart began to ram against my chest, tears began to sting at my eyes, my mind swirled with thoughts. 'Where is everyone? Are they okay? Why aren't they answering?' I thought to myself as I continued to call out for the team, until finally, I hear a low groan, the voice was familiar, it sounded like... "Lance?" I whispered. I began to approach the figure and sure enough, it was Lance laying face first on the ground, I gasped in shock, gently turned him over so he was laying on his back, he had a deep cut going across his chest, his face was covered in bruises, he had a black eye, and a cut lip with blood trickling down his mouth, the tears that started to well in my eyes came like a waterfall.

“Lance! Oh, my, gosh! A-are you okay?! Say something!” I said frantically, his eyes were closed, I stared anxiously at his face, hoping that he would open those ocean blue eyes and crack that famous smile, but, it never came, instead, his eyes opened just enough so he could see me, he gave a weak smile, and lifted his hand up to cup my cheek.

“H-hey, Mullet, don’t cry, I-I’ll be okay, I promise. When I say vol, you say tron, okay?” He said weakly, closing his eyes again, my tears began to flow harder. 

“Lance, stay with me! Talk to me! P-please” I begged, cradling him in my arms, I could feel his heartbeat grow slower, and his breathing grow more ragged and shallow, it scared me, I didn’t want to lose him, not like this, not before I could tell him the things that I need to tell him. I tightly shut my eyes as tears continued to stream down my face. 

“G-guys! Hunk! Pidge! Shiro! S-someone! Anyone! Please answer me! I need help! Please! V-voltron!” I yelled through my helmet, hoping someone would answer me, all I got in reply was static. 

I sat there holding Lance in my arms, his body becoming limp, I watched as the color drained from his face, finally, he opened his eyes again and smiled at me, he ran his fingers through my hair and gently dried my tears. 

“K-Keith, please don’t cry, I don’t want to see your beautiful eyes filled with tears. I-I love you” He said, his voice barely above a whisper, causing me to cry more, I held his hand against my face and leaned into his touch. 

“I-I l-love y-you t-too” I replied, my voice shaky, I watched as he smiled one last time and drew his last breath, his hand falling from my cheek, his body completely limp, my hand flew to my mouth to keep my sobs from escaping. 

“Lance… No… no... No, please! No! Lance! Lance!” I yelled in agony, tears streaming down my face like raindrops, mixing with the rain that fell from the sky, my heart clenched into a fist, then, everything went black...

“Lance!” I scream at the top of my lungs, I sit straight up, tears streaming down my face, sweat dripping from my head, and my body shaking. I look around and realize that I’m in my room, I sigh in relief and place a shaky hand on my chest, trying to calm my pounding heart.

I tried to go back to sleep, but the nightmare kept flashing through my mind every time I closed my eyes, I sigh in defeat and decide to go to Lance’s room, I gather my blanket and pillow and walk down the hallway towards his room. 

“Hopefully he won’t mind bunking with me for a night” I say to myself.

I knock on his door and wait a few minutes, then, a half-asleep Lance opens the door, his hair messy, his blue robe untied with his mask on top of his head, wearing his blue lion slippers. 

“Keith? What are you doing?” He asks with a yawn as he rubs his eyes and runs his fingers through his disheveled hair, my face turns a light pink. 

“W-well… I-I had a nightmare, and I was hoping I could sleep with you” I say nervously, his face softens when he notices the tears welling up in my already red eyes and the way my body began to lightly tremble, without hesitation he steps aside and lets me into his room. 

“I can sleep on the floor if you don’t feel comfortable sharing a bed with me” He suggests, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

“No!” I say a little too quickly, causing him to give me a confused look, I blush and clear my throat. 

“I-I mean, no, you don’t have to do that, this is your room after all, I-I don’t mind sharing a bed with you, as long as you don’t mind” I say nervously.

Lance smiles sweetly at me and dried the stray tear I didn’t notice rolling down my face. 

“Sure, I’m okay with it, I hate to see you like this” He says, not removing his hand from my cheek, I smile and close my eyes, leaning into his gentle touch. 

“Thank you” I reply. 

“Anytime, Keith, that’s what friends are for” He says with a smile, gently rubbing his thumb under my eye, he moves away from his bed and gestures for me to lay down. 

I lay down and turn over, facing away from him, I feel the bed sink beside me and an arm drape over my waist. 

Thank quiznack Lance can’t see how red my face is right now.


	2. Safe in warm arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was sound asleep when I heard Keith scream from his room, I jump awake, I was about to rush out of bed and run to his room, but, he beats me to it by knocking on my door, I answer half-asleep and notice a terrified look on his face, his eyes red and puffy like he had been crying. "Keith? What are you doing?" I ask sleepily, rubbing my eyes  
> "We-well... I had a nightmare and... I was hoping I could sleep with you" He replies nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems a bit short, this is kind of a repeat of the ending of chapter 1

Lance's POV:  
I was sound asleep when I heard Keith scream from his room, I jump awake, I was about to rush out of bed and run to his room, but, he beats me to it by knocking on my door, I answer half-asleep and notice a terrified look on his face, his eyes red and puffy like he had been crying.   
"Keith? What are you doing?" I ask sleepily, rubbing my eyes

"W-well... I-I had a nightmare, and... I was hoping I could sleep with you." He replies nervously, my seemingly annoyed face softens when I see tears well up in his already red eyes, he clutches his pillow tightly and his body lightly trembles, my heart breaks seeing such a strong guy in this state. Without hesitation, I step aside and let him in my room. 

"I could sleep on the floor if you don't feel comfortable sleeping in the same bed as me" I offer, rubbing the back of my neck nervously.   
"No!" He replies with no hesitation, I give him a confused look, to which he blushes and clears his throat.

"I-I mean, no, you don't have to do that, this is your room after all, I-I don't mind sharing a bed with you, as long as you don't mind"   
He says nervously, I smile sweetly at him and dried a stray tear that was rolling down his cheek. 

"Sure, I'm okay with it, I hate to see you like this." I reply with a smile, not removing the hand that was cupping his check, he closes his eyes and leans into my touch with a smile on his face.   
"Thank you." He says softly.

"Anytime, Keith, that's what friends are for." I reply with a smile, rubbing my thumb under his eye.   
I move away from my bed and gesture for him to lay down, to which he lays down and faces away from me.   
I sit down on the bed and lay down beside him, draping my arm over his waist, hugging him close to my chest.

I'm glad he can't see how red my face is right now.

After a few moments of cradling him close to my chest, he eases into my hold and drifts into a peaceful slumber, I smile and plant a soft kiss to the back of his head. 

"Goodnight, Keith" I whisper into his ear. 

"You'll always be safe with me." I add and soon drift off as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing on this platform is a bit new to me, so apologies if I make any mistakes or anything


	3. Nightmares part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh, my, gosh! Lance is cuddling me! Don't freak out, try not to freak out, Keith." I thought to myself  
> I took time to study Lance's face.   
> He looked very peaceful and at ease, his chest rising and falling at an even pace.   
> I smiled at how peaceful he looked, then, the nightmare from the night before flashed through my mind, the sight of his limp body in my arms, I tightly shut my eyes to keep the tears from falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith has another nightmare, how will this affect his duties as a paladin? What will Lance do about it? Do the others take notice that Keith is jumpier than usual?

The next morning, Keith woke up first and almost freaked out until he remembered where he was, then he noticed that he was pressed firmly against Lances chest, Keith's face lit up a bright, cherry red.   
Keith's POV:  
Oh, my, gosh! Lance is cuddling me! Don't freak out, try not to freak out, Keith.   
I thought to myself, I took time to study Lance's face.   
He looked very peaceful and at ease, his chest rising and falling at an even pace.   
I smiled at how peaceful he looked, then, the nightmare from the night before flashed through my mind, the sight of his limp body in my arms, I tightly shut my eyes to keep the tears from falling. Suddenly, I was snapped out of my trance by Allura's frantic voice: 

"Attention all paladins! Please report to your lions immediately! We are under attack by an entire Galra fleet! I repeat: all paladins please report to your lions immediately! We are under attack by a fleet of Galra!" 

Without any hesitation, I spring from the bed and run to the area where we keep our suits, Lance sluggishly follows behind me. 

Lance's POV:  
I was peacefully sleeping when Allura's voice blared through a speaker, scaring the heck out of me, Keith was already up and out the door, I crawled out of bed and joined him, we ran, or, more like he ran and I walked, to the area where we keep our suits, Hunk, Pidge, Keith, and Shiro were already making their way to their lions' hangers, while I was still suiting up, as soon as I put my helmet on, Shiro's voice blasted into my ear: 

"Hurry up, Lance! There's a whole fleet of Galra! We need you quickly!" 

The fear in his voice gave me a boost of energy, I suited up quickly and ran to my lion, quickly joining the others to fight a whole fleet, like, hundreds of Galra ships! Like a whole army! This would be a brutal battle! 

After defeating the Galra ships, the paladins flew back to the castle, exhausted, Keith and Lance sat on the couch while the rest went to their rooms. 

Keith's POV:  
"Whew! That was one heck of a battle! When my head hits that pillow, it's going to bed lights out for me" I tell Lance, to which he laughs and stands up. 

"Yup, I'm heading that way myself." Lance replies as he stands up. 

"Goodnight, Keith" He calls out as he heads to his room.

"Goodnight, Lance" I call back as I head to my room. 

That night, I have another nightmare that's worse than the last.   
I once again wake up screaming Lance's name at the top of my lungs with sweat dripping from my brow and tears streaming down my face, I sit up in bed shaking, then, I hear a knock on the door and a familiar voice: 

"Keith, you okay? I heard you scream" Lance's voice called outside my bedroom. 

Lance's POV:  
I was just about to fall asleep when I heard Keith scream my name, I jumped out of bed and bolted to his room, lightly knocking on the door, I could hear him crying, this is the second night in a row. 

"Keith, you okay? I heard you scream." I call out, waiting for a reply, I hear him shuffle around his room and open the door.   
At first, Keith had his head hung, so he wasn't looking me in the eye, I heard him sniffle and he looked up at me, tears streaming down his face, it hurt so badly to see those strong eyes filled with tears, I hugged him and allowed him to bury his head in my chest. 

"Nightmare again?" I asked with a warm smile as I rubbed my hand up and down his back, slightly ruffling his hair.   
I felt him nod his head against my chest and his arms tighten around my waist, almost as if he were afraid of letting me go, like I would disappear or something, I sigh internally. 

"Would you like for me to sleep with you again?" I ask.   
He nods again and slightly pulls away from the hug, I wipe away his tears, take his hand and walk back inside his room.


	4. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith has been having nightmares for the past week and everyone is worried about him, especially Lance

Lance's POV:  
I've been sleeping with Keith recently and I've noticed that he's becoming anxious. Me and the rest of the team are all extremely worried about him. At night, I often find his spot on the bed empty and I can hear him in the next room, pacing, for hours at a time. I finally decided to ask what was bothering him

"Nothing, I've just had a lot on my mind" Was his reply, the next night, I asked him again. 

"I just couldn't sleep" He tried to reassure, I could tell he was lying, but I didn't pry.  
Finally, I asked him for a third time and he broke. 

"I-I'm scared! Scared I'm not good enough! Scared someone will get hurt! Scared someone will die! Scared you will die! I've been having t-these horrible nightmares every day for the past week, Lance, and they all share something in common: you end up getting hurt and dying in my arms and I'm not able to save you!," he cries, I stare wide-eyed at him. 

I couldn't believe it, Keith Kogan, strongest person I know, has been having nightmares about me, for the past week.  
At hearing what he said, my heart broke in half, I hugged him gently, yet firmly, feeling his tears wet my shoulder, I rubbed my hand up and down his back in a gentle and calming manner. 

"Hey, listen, you are the strongest person that I know. You're a paladin of Voltron! You are the best fighter, and the best friend I have ever known and will ever have the pleasure of knowing. You work so hard, Keith. You're so brave, and strong. You won't have to worry about me getting killed, because I'm not going anywhere, I promise." I reply softly, cupping his cheek and drying his tears

He stared at me with wide, tear stained eyes, then, he smiled and leaned into my touch, one last tear rolling down his cheek.

"I'm sorry for being so emotional, I can't help it, the nightmares are absolutely terrifying. I think losing you is my worst fear," he replies a blush forming on his cheeks, I hug him again and I feel him grip the back of my shirt, his shoulders are tense, I slightly release the hug and look him in the eye.

"Hey, let's go to bed, okay?" I ask with a gentle smile. He nods in reply and we walk back to his room.

Sometimes, it comes in waves, his fear and anxiety come out as broken sobs, as if the words are choking him and I'm the only one who truly see his tears.  
I just hug him and hold him close, but I keep my loving thoughts to myself so it doesn't become weird or anything. 

Other times, he says nothing, and that's fine too, I know he needs the silence and the comfort from a friend. 

When he cries so hard against my chest that I can feel his thin frame trembling, it breaks my heart and I so desperately wish that I wasn't just Lance, Keith's best friend, but Lance, the one who can tell him how much I love him and how much he means to me, the one to cradle him close to my chest and whisper sweet, comforting words into his ear while running my fingers through his hair. 

But for now, I'll just be a friend to him until I can work up the courage to express my true feelings for my brave Lionheart.  
So, I just hold him close until he eases his grip on my jacket and slows his breathing, I hold him close until his tightly shut eyes and fear stricken face ease into a peaceful and content face, I hold him close until the river of tears streaming down his face slows and he rests his head against my shoulder where I plant a soft kiss to his head without him knowing it, I hold back the urge to say "I love you," instead, I whisper "good night and sweet dreams, Keith."


	5. A matter of life and death part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Lance! Look out!" Keith yells, jumping in front of the gun to take a bullet for me. Next thing I know, Keith is bleeding from his head and about to hit the ground. In a panic, I quickly catch him and rush back to where our lions are.   
> "Guys! We have a situation here! Keith's been shot We need to get him to a healing pod, now!" I yell through my helmet, trying to hide my panic. I blink away the tears welling in my eyes and wait for a response.
> 
> "His heart stopped and he isn't breathing. He's gone into cardiac arrest!" Coran replies, a fearful and worried look adorned his face. "What?!" Me and everyone else all yell in unison. "Out of the pod! Now!" Allura instructs.
> 
> No... No.. This.. This can't be happening. I can't let Keith... I can't let him die! Not like this.

~3 weeks later~

3 weeks following Keith's breakdown, his bond with Lance grew stronger, his nightmares finally subsided, and he was finally able to sleep soundly at night, but his mind was never fully at ease. 

One seemingly normal day, Allura's voice echoed through the halls of The Castle of Lions, calling the Paladins' attention to the main control room. 

"Paladins, we have just received a distress signal from a nearby planet, their prince has been captured by the Galra and he is being held prisoner along with some innocent citizens who were captured trying to rescue their prince. Your mission is to free the planet from the Galra's hold and free the Prince.   
It will be very dangerous, be very aware of Galra soldiers around every corner" Allura explained. 

"All right everyone! It's time to suit up!" Shiro exclaimed, everyone ran to where they keep their suits of armor, once they were suited and ready, they went to their lions' hangers and flew to the nearby planet. When they landed, everyone exited their lions and inspected the planet. 

"This place looks deserted" Lance exclaimed 

"Yeah, uh, Shiro, are you sure we're on the right planet? Maybe we got lost" Hunk added nervously. 

"We're not lost, Allura did say that the planet had been taken over by Galra" Shiro said, a slightly annoyed tone in his voice, Keith stayed quiet, his eyes darted around from one tree to another. 

"Keith?" Lance asked, snapping Keith out of his daze. 

"Huh? Oh, no I'm... I'm fine. I thought I heard something" Keith answered, tightening his grip on his bayard, he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned around fast and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Calm down, Keith. It's only me" Lance said with a smile. 

"All right, guys let's split up. Keith and Lance will go through the forest and to the nearby village, Hunk, Pidge, you two will head North, if you find any citizens, ask where they might be holding the prince. I'll fly around in my lion to keep an eye out for any Galra. Remember, stick to your partner and be very careful" Shiro said, making his way to his lion, Pidge and Hunk went the opposite direction while Keith and Lance walked through the forest, Keith staying on high alert. 

Lance's POV:

Keith is acting a bit jumpy, like he's expecting something to jump out and attack. Then I hear a gun go off. 

"Lance! Look out!" Keith yells, jumping in front of the gun to take a bullet for me. 

Next thing I know, Keith is bleeding from his head and about to hit the ground. 

In a panic, I quickly catch him and rush back to where our lions are. 

"Guys! We have a situation here! Keith's been shot We need to get him to a healing pod, now!" I yell through my helmet, trying to hide my panic. I blink away the tears welling in my eyes and wait for a response, then, I hear Shiro's voice. 

"Okay, Lance, get to your lion and fly back to the castle, we'll catch up" 

He didn't have to tell me twice. I quickly get in my lion and set Keith down in a chair beside me. 

I fly back to the castle in no time. I quickly rush inside and start yelling for Allura and Coran. 

"Allura! Coran! I need help!" Allura rushes over to me with Coran following closely behind her. 

"What happened?" Allura asks, giving me a worried look. 

I gently lay Keith down on the ground, Allura and Coran exchanged worried looks. 

"I'll fire up a healing pod and he'll be just fine," Coran says with a reassuring smile. He walks away to turn on a healing pod. 

"Okay, bring him here" Coran calls out, I pick Keith up and Allura helps me get him in a pod, just as Shiro and the others walk up to us. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Hunk asks. 

"Of course he will, a few hours in here and he should be good as new" Coran replies with a smile, patting the side of the healing pod. I stood in front of the pod and pressed my hand against the glass, a few tears rolling down my face. 

After a while, I felt everything was going to be okay. I begin to walk away when suddenly the alarm on the pod starts to go off, Allura and Coran rush to the pod in a panic. 

"What's happening?!" I ask frantically. 

"His heart stopped and he isn't breathing. He's gone into cardiac arrest!" Coran replies, a fearful and worried look adorned his face. 

"What?!" Me and everyone else all yell in unison. 

"Out of the pod! Now!" Allura instructs. No... No.. This.. This can't be happening. I can't let Keith... I can't let him die! Not like this. I think to myself as I watch Shiro try desperately to run to Keith's pod, Hunk holding him back by the arm, Allura and Coran work as fast as they can, trying to open the pod and lay him down on a medical table, me and the rest of the team watch with teary eyes as Coran gives him electric shocks to restart his heart, my heart thumps rapidly against my chest, hoping Coran is able to save him. 

"Come on, Keith. Come back to us" Shiro says softly, his voice shaky as the tears roll down his face. 

"Come on, buddy, the team needs you. I need you" I say, softly mumbling the last part. 

Then, to my amazement, Keith sits straight up and gasps for air, Coran places a hand on his should to steady him. "Easy there, number four" He says with a gentle smile. I watch as Keith looks around confused, as if he didn't know where he was for a second.


	6. A matter of life and death part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I need you to break" He says, raising his sword and aiming it directly at Lance's chest "Vrepit sa!" He says as he stabs Lance in the chest. "No!" I yell with wide eyes, tears flowing down my cheeks like rain. The Galra drops Lance's now limp body. The pod finally opens and I rush out and quickly grab Lance before he hits the ground. I prop him on my knee, my clothes already beginning to stain with his blood, my shaking hand hovers over his bleeding wound. "K-Keith" Lance struggles to say my name, his voice barely above a whisper. "Hey... don't- don't try to talk right now. I'm trying to... I'm trying... I'm... I'm here. You're going to be f-fine. You're going to be okay, Lance." I manage to say through my tears, a small smile on my face. Lance smiles at me, then, it fades, and the life drains from his face. I stare at his blank expression with wide eyes, the tears flowing non-stop down my face, my body shaking with each sob that escapes my throat. "L...Lance? Hey. Come on, buddy. You're okay. You're fine. You're... Please... Please say something. Just... Just do something." I beg, my voice becoming softer and softer. I hold Lance close to my chest and cry onto his shoulder.

Keith's POV:   
~Inside his dream~

I open my eyes to find myself inside a healing pod. I push my hand against the glass, but it wouldn't open. 

Wait, why isn't it opening? I ask myself. 

Then, I hear the sound of laser guns and marching footsteps, I quickly pull my hand away and see Galra soldiers marching through the halls of the castle, I press my body against the back of the pod, trying desperately to hide myself. 

If they find me in here, I'm dead! I think to myself, trying to steady my rapidly beating heart. 

The Galra start to approach me, then, I hear another laser gun go off, shooting the cyborgs right in the head. I see Lance, he turns around and sees me. 

"Hey! You're awake!" He says with a smile, then it fades. "But, why isn't the pod opening?" He asked curiously with a puzzled look on his face. 

"I don't know. Can you get me out?" I ask frantically. Lance smirks at me. 

"Keith my man, do you know who you're talking to? Of course I can!" Lance said with confidence, he studied the pod and began to type on the keypad, but nothing happened, he banged his fist on it in frustration, he then, let out a sigh. 

"So..." He began, then paused. 

"So, basically, you can't get me out of this thing." I say with a raised brow. 

"Yup. Looks like you're gonna miss out on all the fun, Red. The Galra infiltrated the castle. But... You probably guessed that already." Lance said, stating the obvious, I look at him with my arms crossed. 

"You know, I'd hate to admit this, but I really wish you weren't stuck in there. Having you fight with us would've made a huge difference" He adds, I give him an agitated look. 

"But not much we can do about that, so..." He says, holding my bayard. 

"Get Allura or Coran! They should be able to do something about the pod. I want to help! I need to help, Lance!" I say frantically, Lance turns away from me with a serious look on his face. 

"Everyone is fighting their own battles, Keith. My job is to protect you. You weren't even supposed to be awake yet, so, I was sent down here to guard your pod" Lance says, my eyes widen. 

"What? No! Just go help the others!" I protest. 

"Nope, can't do it. You're stuck in there and you can't fight back or escape in case more Galra find you" Lance says casually, looking at me, I ball my fists and press them against the glass. 

Is this guy an idiot or what? I know what he's about to say next. 

"So, just hang out, relax, and let me concentrate on protecting you like you've always wanted" Lance adds with a smirk, activating my bayrad, my heart begins to pound rapidly against my chest. He's not going to do, what I think he's about to do, is he? 

"Lance. You can't take on a legion of Galra if they come in here!" I yell in frustration. 

"Dude, taking on a legion of Galra is, like, my thing." Lance replies to my frustration casually, holding my bayrad, now activated as a gun. 

"Are you kidding me right now?" I ask in frustration. Hold on, maybe I can just... I try to punch the glass, but end up drawing my hand back. 

Lance looks at me as I shake my hand, it now throbbing slightly. 

"Well, the good thing is, I don't think this pod is going to open for anything or anyone, so if I happen to be like, gunned down and they get in, I think you'll still be safe." Lance says, his back turned to me, my eyes widen, he's willing to risk his life for me, I press my fist against the pod. 

"Then leave me. Like you said, I'll be..." I start to say, but Lance cuts me off. 

"No way, I'm not taking that chance." Lance says sternly. Suddenly, I hear a gunshot, a laser beam hits the pod while Lance is facing me. My eyes widen in fear for his safety. 

"Turn around!" I yell. Lance turns around and is faced with a whole legion of Galra cyborg soldiers, and they're running right towards him, Lance aims his gun. 

"Hey, Keith? Wanna see something cool?" He asks, he turns the gun into a sword and proceeds to slice right through the cyborgs, as if they were paper, I watch with wide eyes as he slices each one without missing a beat, when he stops, there's a pile of sliced metal at his feet, he turns to see me with a wide smile on my face, he smirks. 

"Heh. You should see your face right now!" He says with confidence. Suddenly, a Galra sword whirls around and hits him in the back with a thunk, he drops my sword and grips his stomach with a pained expression on his face, my eyes widen in fear. 

"L-Lance? Lance! Are... Are you...?" I ask frantically. 

"F-fine, just... Just give me a minute" He says, I notice the Galra sword sticking out of his back, my heart thumps painfully against my chest, then, I see a Galra standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face. 

"Lance. Lance! Get out of here! Just run!" I call out, pounding my fists against the glass. Lance stands in a fighting stance, his body lightly shaking, the Galra picks him up by the throat and roughly yanks his sword from Lance's back. Lance winces in pain, I grow furious and punch the pod multiple times. 

"STOP!!! Let him go!" I yell, gritting my teeth, and continuing to bang my fists against the pod. The Galra looks at me, then smirks, he walks up to the pod and harshly slams Lance against the glass, I stare wide eyed. 

"Is he your friend? Do you care about him?" The Galra asks mockingly, Lance smiles at me, blood trickling down his lip, he places his hand on the pod, and I place my hand in the same spot. 

"You're gonna be fine, Keith. I won't let him..." Lance starts to say, but I cut him off. 

"Shut up, Lance!" I yell, tears beginning to stream down my face. 

"Keith?" He asks. I roughly press my fist against the pod. 

"You are a coward! Open this pod and face me like a true Galra!" I yell in rage, the Galra sneers at me. 

"A true Galra? You are half-breed at best. But, even though it would be no match, I am not going to fight you." He says, then he smirks at me as he continues. 

"After all, you are the reason we are here" 

At hearing that, my heart skipped at beat and my eyes widened. 

I'm the reason they... I'm the reason Lance is... Everything... Is my fault. 

The realization hits me like a brick, I hang my head in defeat. 

"Then, take me with you, just leave my friends alone" I beg. 

"Keith, that's... that's n-not happening today. The whole point... was for you to survive. It's fine" Lance says with a smile. 

"Lance, no! We're supposed to protect each other! We're supposed to have each other's backs" I say, staring at Lance with wide eyes. 

"I did. I got you, buddy" Lance replies. My body begins to tremble, a pool of blood develops at Lance's feet. I watch as the Galra pulls Lance away from the glass, holds him close to his chest and proceeds to cut his cheek with his Galra sword, Lance winces in pain, I pound my fists against the pod. 

"STOP! Stop! I'll do anything!" I beg, the Galra sneers at me. 

"But there's only one thing I need you to do little half-breed..." He hisses, then, he smirks. 

"I need you to break" He says, raising his sword and aiming it directly at Lance's chest. 

"Vrepit sa!" He says as he stabs Lance in the chest. 

"No!" I yell with wide eyes, tears flowing down my cheeks like rain. The Galra drops Lance's now limp body. The pod finally opens and I rush out and quickly grab Lance before he hits the ground. I prop him on my knee, my clothes already beginning to stain with his blood, my shaking hand hovers over his bleeding wound. 

"K-Keith" Lance struggles to say my name, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Hey... don't...don't try to talk right now. I'm trying to... I'm trying... I'm... I'm here. You're going to be f-fine. You're going to be okay, Lance." I manage to say through my tears, a small smile on my face. Lance smiles at me, then, it fades, and the life drains from his face. I stare at his blank expression with wide eyes, the tears flowing non-stop down my face, my body shaking with each sob that escapes my throat. 

"L...Lance? Hey. Come on, buddy. You're okay. You're fine. You're... Please... Please say something. Just... Just do something." I beg, my voice becoming softer and softer. I hold Lance close to my chest and cry onto his shoulder. I begin to hear very faint, far off, familiar voices, but I pay no attention. 

"Anything but this" I say to myself as the tears continue to flow down my cheeks. The Galra approaches me. 

"Now, leave him and come with me" The Galra hisses, harshly grabbing my arm and dragging me away from Lance. 

"No, I'm staying with Lance!" I protest, trying desperately to escape the Galra's firm grip on my arm. 

"Stop resisting. You are Galra, you belong with us." The Galra hisses. Then, I hear the faint, distant voice again. 

"Come on, Keith. Come back to us!" 

'Wh...what? That was Shiro's voice, but... He's not here. No one else is here. It was just me and I... I let them all down.' I think to myself. Suddenly, I feel like I'm being shocked and I hear another voice. 

"Come on, buddy. We need you. You can do this!" 

'Lance? No, he couldn't have said that. He's... He is... He'll never... I can't...' I think to myself, I look down at my blood-stained clothes and skin, the tears still flowing like rain down my face, I tightly grip my chest, then, for the last time, I hear the same voice, but louder this time. 

"Keith, don't do this to me!" The voice yells. Zzzzzap! I tightly shut my eyes as I feel myself getting shocked again, then, I open my eyes again and sit straight up, gasping for breath. 

"Steady there, Number Four" Coran says with a gentle smile, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

"Coran?" I ask in shock, I look around the room. 

"Shiro? You're... You're all okay? You're all alive?" I ask in shock, I see Pidge and Hunk with tears streaming down their cheeks, Allura and Shiro have worried looks on their faces, I don't notice the sixth person standing in the room when the realization hits me. 

"No. Not everyone" I say softly, hanging my head. 

"Keith?" Shiro asks in concern. 

"They'll be back. They're not just going to give up. You should have let him take me. And Lance..." I stop, unable to finish my sentence, I can feel tears welling up in my eyes. 

"I tried... I tried to save him, but... I'm sorry. I was stuck in the pod, I couldn't... They were here for me because I am Galra. It's all my fault." I cry, bringing my knees to my chest and hiding my face, the tears now streaming down freely, I feel the bed sink slightly and a hand on my shoulder. 

"Hey, man. Nothing is your fault." A gentle voice says. I slightly lift my head to see Lance, tears flowing down his face. 

"Everything is fine, now. You're okay." 

I stare at him with wide eyes, the tears still flowing down my face, Lance looks at me with a gentle smile, tears streaming down his own face, I have a flashback of him laying limp in my arms. 

"How... How are you..? I... I don't understand. There was so much blood, Lance, and I couldn't... I couldn't do anything." I say, reaching a shaky hand out to touch Lance's chest.   
I then, place my hand on his chest as I continue. 

"The Galra. He shoved you against the glass and stabbed you in the chest, and that's when the pod opened. You bled out in my arms. I felt you stop... I felt you die." I say, looking Lance in the eyes, his hand on my shoulder and my hand on his chest. 

"You must've been having a dream, Keith. Lance was never in any danger. Your heart was the one that stopped." Shiro says. I turn my head to look at him. 

"Don't you remember? You were injured during the battle and we had to put you in the pod. Everything was fine until suddenly the alarms went off. You weren't breathing. Your heart wasn't beating and we couldn't explain it." Allura adds. 

"We had to give you a shock in order to restart your heart. The dream you were having in the pod, must've been so intense that it was effecting your body." Coran says. 

Shiro places his hand on my shoulder with a gentle smile, I could see that his cheeks were tear stained even though he had a smile on his face. 

"But Keith, whatever you dreamed wasn't real. I promise you, Lance is fine." Shiro says in a gentle, brotherly tone. 

"No. Lance is not fine" Lance says abruptly. Everyone looks at us. 

"Can you all just give us the room for a minute?" He asks. Everyone leaves and now it's just me and Lance. My hand still slightly trembles, I remove my hand from his chest, we both stare at each other, he then looks away from me. 

"I... I'm not fine, Keith" He says softly. I nod and lower my head, tears beginning to fill my eyes again. 

"It's because this is the dream, isn't it? This is the dream, and in reality you're dead and I've been taken by the Galra. I should have known this was too good to be real. I'm sorry, Lance. I'm so..." I say, then I feel Lance's hand cup my cheek and dry the tears that are flowing down like rain, I look up at him. 

"No. No, this is real. This is real. You're still here and I'm still alive. I promise" Lance says softly, taking his other hand and cupping my other cheek as he continues. 

"I'm not okay because, your heart stopped. I thought... Keith, I thought you were dead." I take his hand in mine. 

"Lance, I watched you bleed out. I told you to leave, but you stayed to protect me from a legion of Galra like a complete idiot!" I say, slightly raising my voice, my tone seemed a bit harsher than I wanted, Lance raised an eyebrow at me. 

"No I didn't. But I'm glad that your subconscious mind agrees that that is totally something I would do, I'm just that heroic, Keith." Lance says proudly. I give him an "are-you-kidding-me-right-now" Kind of look, he smiles and sheepishly rubs the back of his head. 

"But seriously, I guess what I'm trying to say is, you thought I was dead and you literally almost died... and I thought you were dying... and it was killing me." Lance says softly, looking away from me for a second, then looking back at me, I reach a shaky hand out to him. 

"Lance. I... I don't know... What to say." I say softly, gently holding Lance's jacket sleeve.


	7. Everything's okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We should... Probably let the team know everything's okay" I say softly. Keith moves around in my lap and gently takes my hand away from his chest. "Yeah, probably" He replies, sliding off the bed and standing up. I sit on the edge of the bed, I glance up at him then lower my head. Keith turns around and notices a change in my demeanor. "Lance? Hey, you okay?" He says softly, kneeling down in front of me, I sniffle and cover my eyes with the palm of my hand. "Yeah. I'm sorry, man, I just..." I pause for a second then look up at him.

Lance's POV:  
Keith gently held my jacket sleeve, I looked down at him with a gentle smile on my face. 

"Hey. Let go for a second, okay?" I asked, gently taking his hand and removing it from my jacket sleeve. I stand up and walk around to the other side of the bed, so I am sitting behind Keith. I sit down and adjust myself. 

"Come here. I'm gonna cradle you" I say, holding my arms out. Keith crawls towards me and settles down into my lap, I wrap my arms around him from behind, placing my head on his shoulder. 

"Hmm. I'll make sure to forget it ever happened" Keith said with a soft chuckle. I chuckled softly as well 

"Hey, Keith? I don't... know exactly what this means... But it does mean something. To me, at least" I say softly, planting a gentle kiss to the back of Keith's shoulder. 

"It means something to me too. You being here, you being alive, it means everything to me" Keith said softly. 

I chuckled softly, and placed my cheek to the back of his shoulder with a light blush. 

"Go ahead and make fun of me for it, Make fun of me all you want" Keith replied with a smile. 

"Hmm. Roger that, Red" I replied softly, kissing the top of Keith's shoulder. 

"Hey man. Whatever this is... I want us to figure it out together, okay? So don't go anywhere" I say, placing my hand on Keith's chest, he places his hand on top of mine. 

"I won't if you won't." He replies. 

"Yeah... I actually think for the first time in my life, I am exactly where I'm supposed to be" I said with a smile and he smiles back at me. 

We sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until I break it by letting out a sigh. 

"We should... Probably let the team know everything's okay" I say softly. Keith moves around in my lap and gently takes my hand away from his chest. 

"Yeah, probably" He replies, sliding off the bed and standing up. 

I sit on the edge of the bed, I glance up at him then lower my head. Keith turns around and notices a change in my demeanor. 

"Lance? Hey, you okay?" He says softly, kneeling down in front of me, I sniffle and cover my eyes with the palm of my hand. 

"Yeah. I'm sorry, man, I just..." I pause for a second then look up at him. 

"It's been a day, and being this emotional is, like, really exhausting. You took that hit during the battle, and I think the adrenaline held off most of my panic until we got you back, and they put you in the pod. I thought everything was going to be fine but then..." I pause again, I could feel the tears bubbling in my eyes and Keith cups my cheek. 

"I mean, obviously it was worse for you, but... But it's still a lot. And you're an "actions speak louder than words" kind of guy. So, I'm sorry, but... Can I just..." I hold his hand close to my cheek and smile at him, then I give him a quick peck on the lips and turn away with a blush, then, to my surprise, he places his hand on the back of my neck and pulls me into another kiss, more tender than the last. 

We pull away after a few seconds and smile at each other. 

"Whoa... I should die in your coma dreams more often." I say with a bright smile and Keith just gives me an annoyed look. I watch as he stands up and walks away. 

I stand up and follow him. 

"Okay, okay" I stand up and follow him. 

"But seriously, you had such an extreme reaction to me dying, you must really love me" With what I said, Keith stops in his tracks, causing me to get nervous. 

"O-oh... I mean..." I stutter, he turns to face me with a smile. 

"What's the matter, Lance? Are you scared?" He asks and turns back around so he's facing away from me. I'm taken aback slightly by his statement, then I smile and laugh. 

"I'm not scared" I say, walking beside him, holding his hand. The feeling of our hands being intertwined feels natural, almost as if, it were meant to be.


End file.
